Tool for installing and removing snap rings

ABSTRACT

A plier-type tool for removing and installing a snap ring and retainer on the Bendix drive shaft of an automobile starter. One jaw of the tool has an elongated open-ended slot formed therein to fit radially over the shaft and engage the snapring, and the other jaw has an elongated slot with means for engaging the end of the shaft to provide a reaction for applying axial pressure to the ring to force it out of the conventional retaining groove. Means is provided for supporting a snapring in axial alignment with the end of the shaft to facilitate telescoping the ring onto the end of the shaft to install the ring onto the retaining groove. During installation, the conventional retaining collar and thrust washer are snapped into place over the snapring by use of the slots in the opposed jaws of the tool.

United States Patent [72] Inventor Stanley Bilka 109 U2 Van Buren,Winner, S. Dak. 57580 [21 1 App]. No. 799,827 [22] Filed Feb. 17, 1969[45] Patented Mar. 23, 1971 [54] TOOL FOR INSTALLING AND REMOVING SNAPRINGS 9 Claims, 19 Drawing Figs. [52] US. Cl 29/229, 29/268 [51] Int. Cl823p 19/08 [50] Field of Search 29/229, 268, 271

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,678,313 7/1928 Atkinson29/268 29/268 3,357,085 12/1967 Martin FOREIGN PATENTS 703,853 l/195lGreat Britain Primary Examiner-Andrew R. J uhasz Assistant Examiner-GaryF. Grafel Attorney-Beveridge & DeGrandi ABSTRACT: A plier-type tool forremoving and installing a snap ring and retainer on the Bendix driveshaft of an automobile starter. One jaw of the tool has an elongatedopen-ended slot formed therein to fit radially over the shaft and engagethe snapring, and the other jaw has an elongated slot with means forengaging the end of the shaft to provide a reaction for applying axialpressure to the ring to force it out of the conventional retaininggroove. Means is provided for supporting a snapring in axial alignmentwith the end of the shaft to facilitate telescoping the ring onto theend of the shaft to install the ring onto the retaining groove. Duringinstallation, the conventional retaining collar and thrust washer aresnapped into place over the snapring by use of the slots in the opposedjaws of the tool.

PATENTEDHARZBISYI 3.571.894

SHEET2UF3 IS l; p in i |e I! u W 4 l 47 I4 INVENTOR STANLEY BILKA "IGGIJFGlil INSTALLING AND REMGVING SNAP RINGS This invention relates toimprovements in tools for assembling open-ended retaining, or snapringsonto grooved shafts and for removing the rings from such grooved shafts,and more particularly to an improved plier-type tool for use ininstalling and removing the retaining ring on the Bendix drive shaft ofan automobile starter.

Although numerous devices have been developed for installing and/orremoving snaprings on a grooved shaft, these devices have not beenentirely satisfactory for use in removing or installing the snapring onthe Bendix drive shaft of automobile starters of the type employed innumerous late model automobiles. For example, an electric startermanufactured by Delco-Remy which has been employed on most automobilesmanufactured by General Motors Corporation for a number of years,employs a snapring which, when installed on the shaft, is surrounded bya retaining collar positively'retaining the snapring against radialexpansion. A thrust washer is pressed into the end of the retaining ringwith the two forming, in effect, a cage for the snapring. Thus, tocomplete the installation of a snapring on such starter shafts, inaddition to the usual step of spreading the snap ring and telescoping itonto the shaft and into the groove, it is also necessary to force thesnapring into the retaining collar and to press the thrust washer intothe end of the retaining ring. It is therefore a primary object of thepresent invention to provide a combination assembly-disassembly tool foruse in installing or removing open-ended snaprings on grooved shafts.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved plier-typetool for removing and installing a snapring in a groove on a shaft.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved plier-typetool for removing and installing a snapring on the Bendix drive shaft ofa Delco-Remy automobile starter.

In the attainment of the foregoing and other objects, an importantfeature of the invention resides in a combination pliertype tool havingone jaw with an open-ended U-shaped slot fanned therein dimensioned tofit radially over and closely engage the drive shaft of the starter. Theother jaw of the tool is formed with an elongated slot which includesreaction means for engaging the end of the starter shaft to provide areaction force for the tool to permit the first jaw to apply an axialload to force the snapring out of the groove on the shaft.

The tool also includes means for installing a snapring onto the end ofthe Bendix drive shaft. In one embodiment of the invention, anelongated, hollow, spoollike sleeve having an opening in one end of adiameter substantially equal to the diameter of the starter shaft isemployed to press the snapring onto the end of the shaft and telescopethe ring therealong. The sleeve has an internal, spring-pressed ballwhich projects outwardly through the opening in the end of the sleeve toact as a guide to position the snapring in alignment with the opening sothat, as the sleeve is pressed over the end of the shaft, the ball willbe depressed leaving the snapring aligned with the end of the shaft tobe telescoped thereon as the sleeve passes over the shaft.

In an alternate embodiment. a groove is formed in the opposing faces ofthe U-shaped slot in position to receive and loosely support a snapring.To install the ring, the U-shaped slot is positioned over the end of theshaft with the snap ring supported in the grooves in alignment with theend of the shaft. An axial force is then applied to the snapring tospread it within the grooves and telescope it onto the shaft.

When the snapring has been telescoped onto the shaft, the snapringretainer and thrust washer are then positioned on each side of thesnapring and clamped together by slots in the FIG. 3 is an elevationalview of a Bendix drive shaft with a snapring and retainer installedthereon, and with portions broken away to more clearly illustrate otherportions;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3, on a smaller scale, and illustratingthe retaining collar and thrust washer disassembled from the snapring;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary elevation view illustrating the use of the toolto remove a snapring from the groove in a shaft;

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 5 and illustrating the snapringpartially removed from the shaft;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating the initial stepin replacing the snapring on the drive shaft employing the toolillustrated in FIG. I;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary elevation view illustrating a further step inthe installation of a snapring on the drive shaft;

FIG. 9 is a view similar to FIG. 8 illustrating the completion of theinstallation of the snapring;

FIG. It) is a sectional view taken on line Ill-Ill of FIG. 6;

FIG. l I is a sectional view taken on line 11-11 I of FIG. 9;

FIG. I2 is a view similar to FIG. Iand illustrating an alternateembodiment of the invention;

FIG. I3 is a sectional view taken on line 13-13 of FIG. 12;

FIG. I4 is a side elevation view of the tool shown in FIG. I2 andillustrating the use of the tool to remove a snapring from the groove ina shaft;

FIG. I5 is a sectional view taken on line I5-l5 of FIG. 14;

FIG. 16 is a fragmentary top plan view illustrating the use of the toolshown in FIG. I2 to install a snapring onto a shaft;

FIG. 17 is a sectional view view taken on line 17-17 of FIG. to;

FIG. I8 is a fragmentary side elevation view illustrating another methodof using the tool to install a snapring; and

FIG. 19 is a sectional view taken on line I949 of FIG. I8.

Referring first to the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIGS.I-II of the drawings, a plier-type tool is designated generally by thereference numeral Id, and includes a pair of elongated bars pivotedtogether intermediate their ends by a pin II to define a pair of handlesI2, 13 and a pair of jaws Id, I5. The clamping jaw l4 terminates in asubstantially tlat clamping plate to having an open-ended slot I7 formedtherein, with the slot I7 being dimensioned to fit radially over andclosely engage the Bendix drive shaft Id of an automobile starter andengage the radial face of a snapring 19 positioned in a groove 45 on theshaft Id.

The jaw I5 terminates in an elongated, substantially flat I clampingplate 2t) normally disposed in opposed, substantially parallel relationto the plate Id. The plate Ell has an elongated, semicircular ended slot21 formed therein providing a tracklilre support for a cup-shaped hood22. As most clearly seen in FIG. III, the hood 22 comprises a generallycylindrical hollow body portion 23 having an inwardly directed flange2.4 on one end and an outwardly directed flange 25 on its other end. Apair of grooves, or notches 2t), 27 are formed in the outer surface ofbody 23 on opposed sides thereof adjacent the flange 24. The hood 22mounted in the elongated slot 21 with the notches 26, 27 slidablyreceiving the opposed parallel side portion or rails 28, 29,respectively, on the plate 2% and with flange 25 being disposed betweenplates 2d and to. Thus the hood 22 is slidable longitudinally of theslot 20, and the length of slot 2% is sufficiently great so that, whenthe hood is slid to the extreme position away from the pivot pin II, asshown in FIGS. is and 9, the jaws of the tool may be closed to clamp theretaining collar 47 and thrust washer 38 between plates lo and 2hwithout interference from flange 25.

In the other extreme position of the hood 22 illustrated in FIGS. 5 and5, the inner bore Bill of the hood 22 is disposed above the slot 17.Preferably the notches 2s, 27 are dimensioned to permit substantialpivotal movement of the hood 22 within slot 21 so that the flange 25 canbe substantially parallel to the plate In throughout a substantial rangeof relative positions of the jaws Id,

Fligidly mounted on the handle 12 is an elongated hollow spool assembly34 including cylindrical sleeve 35 having a pair of inwardly concavebeveled washers 36, 37 rigidly welded one on each end thereof with thecentral openings 38, 39, respectively, in the washers being disposedcoaxially with the central bore of sleeve 35. The openings 38, 39 have adiameter slightly larger than the diameter of the shaft 18, butsubstantially less than the internal diameter of the sleeve 35. A pairof spherical balls 4%, 41, having a diameter substantially equal to theinternal diameter of shaft 35, are entrapped within and urged towardopposite ends of sleeve 35 by a resilient coil spring 42 disposedtherebetween. The relative diameters of the openings 38, 39 and theballs 40, 41 are such that a segment of the spherical surface of theballs normally project outwardly through these openings to act as aguide for positioning a snapring 19 coaxially around the opening in oneof the concave washers so that, when the shaft 18 is positioned againstthe ball 41 for example (FIG. 7), and pressed downward, the ball 41 willbe pushed inward against the force of spring 42, leaving the snapring 19aligned with the opening 39 in the washer 37. As the shaft 13 is pressedthrough the opening 39, the snapring 19 will be pressed onto the end ofthe shaft 18. Further movement of the shaft downward will force thesnapring along the length of shaft 18 until the ring is positioned inthe annular groove 45 in the shaft.

Referring now to FIG. 3, it is seen that the snapring retaining groove45 on shaft 18 has a substantially radial shoulder on the side thereofclosest the starter armature 46 (broken away), and is trapped toward theend of the shaft to facilitate axial removal of the snapring 19. Topositively retain the snapring in the groove 45, the ring is normallydisposed in a cage defined by an annular retaining collar 47 and athrust washer 48. To remove the snapring 19, the thrust washer 48 isseparated from the retaining ring 47 by a suitable instrument such a aknife blade, screwdriver, or the like, and then the collar 47 is forcedoff the snapring 19 in the direction of armature 46 by tapping thecollar ring axially along the shaft by any suitable means such as ascrewdriver, or the like. The hood 22 is then positioned over the shaft18, and the plate 16 is positioned in contact with the snapring 19 asshown in FIG. 5. Handles 12 and 13 are then urged toward one anothermanually to force the snapring out of the groove 45 and move it axiallyalong shaft 18 until the snapring is clamped between the flange 25 andthe clamping plate 16 as shown in FIGS. 6 and 1.1). With the ring firmlyclamped by the tool, it can then easily be lifted off the end of theshaft and retained, undamaged, for subsequent reinstallation.

To reinstall the snapring 19 on the shaft 18, the ring is firstpositioned over one of the spring pressed balls 40, 41 and therebyautomatically aligned with an opening in the end of the mounting spool.The ball with the snapring positioned therearound is then positionedinto engagement with the end of the shaft 18 and the shaft and toolpressed together against the resilient force of spring 42. As the spring42 is depressed, shaft 18 will be telescopingly received within themounting spool, and snapring 19 will be slightly spread and telescopedonto the end of shaft 18. Further movement of the shaft 18 onto thespool 34 will result in the ring 19 being positioned in the annulargroove 45. The retaining collar 47, is, of course, positioned on theshaft ahead of the snapring 19 To complete the assembly, the hood 22 ismanually slid to the end of slot 21 farthest from pin 11 and, after thethrust washer 48 has been positioned on the end of shaft 18, the end ofthe shaft is inserted through the slot 21 and the open-ended slot 17 ispositioned over the shaft below the retaining collar. Force is thenapplied to the handles 12 and 13 to manually force the thrust washer andretaining collar toward one another to force the snapring 19 into theannular groove 50 around the inner periphery of the retaining collar 47and to press the axial lip 51 on washer 48 into frictional engagementwith the inner bore of the collar.

While the mounting spool assembly 34 is illustrated in FIG. 2 as beingidentical at opposed ends, it is believed apparent that the opening inone of the beveled washers could be larger than the other, therebyadapting the device for mounting snaprings onto shafts of differentsizes. It is important, however, that the diameter of the opening in theconcave ends walls of the spool be no greater than the mean diameter ofthe snapring to avoid any tendency of the ring to be pressed into theopening. When the opening in the end wall is greater than the meandiameter of the snap ring, excess force is required to spread the ring,and the ring may be damaged. At the same time, it is desired that theopening be as big as possible to facilitate the telescoping actionbetween the spool and the shaft.

Turning now to FIGS. 12 l9 of the drawings, an alternative embodiment ofthe invention is incorporated in a pliertype tool designated generallyby the reference numeral and including a pair of elongated bars pivotedtogether intermediate their ends by pin 111 to define a pair of handles112, 113, and a pair of opposed clamping jaws 114, 115. The clamping jaw114 terminates in a substantially flat clamping plate 116 having anopen-ended slot 117 formed therein, with the slot 117 being dimensionedto fit radially over and closely engage the Bendix drive shaft 18 of anautomobile starter and engage the radial face of a snapring 19positioned in a groove 45 on the shaft 18. A pair of parallel grooves52. 53 are formed, one in each of the internal, opposing faces of theslot 117, with the grooves 52, 53 being dimensioned to cooperativelyreceive and loosely support a snapring 19 positioned therein asillustrated in FIGS. 16 and 17.

The jaw 11S similarly terminates in a substantially flat clamping plate120 normally disposed in opposed, substantially parallel relation to theplate 116. The plate 120 has an elongated, open-ended slot 121 formedtherein in opposed relation to the slot 117, and a pair of reactionmembers, or tabs 54, 55 are formed one on the opposing, parallel facesof the elongated slot 121 .The slot 121 is dimensioned to fit radiallyover and closely engage the Bendix drive shaft 18, with the tabs 54, 55projecting inwardly from the opposed sides of the slot so that therespective tabs are spaced apart a distance less than the diameter ofshaft 18. As indicated in FIG. 16, the tabs 54, 55 are spaced asubstantial distance from the open end of the slot 121, and arepreferably adjacent the end of the slot closest the pivot pin 111.

This alternate embodiment of the invention is employed to remove a snapring from the Bendix drive shaft 18 in a manner quite similar to thatdescribed above with reference to the embodiment of the inventionillustrated in FIGS. 1 11. For example, when the retaining collar 47 hasbeen removed from the snapring in the manner described above, thesnapring may be removed from the groove 45 by positioning the slot 117over the shaft with the snapring 19 either disposed within the slots 52,53 or engaging the flat surface of the plate 116. The tabs 54, 55 arethen positioned into engagement with the end of the shaft 18 and thehandles 112, 113 are manually urged toward one another to force thesnapring axially out of the groove and along the shaft as illustrated inFIGS. 14 and 15.

To reinstall a snap ring 19 onto a shaft using this alternate embodimentof the tool, the snapring is first positioned within the grooves 52, 53and the slot 117 is positioned over the shaft adjacent the end thereofwith the snapring in alignement with the end of the shaft. The snapringmay then be forced onto the end of the shaft, either by applying manualforce to the tool or by lightly tapping the tool with a hammer or thelike to spread the ring and telescope it onto the shaft. The opposedfaces of the groove 117 act as a guide to facilitate alignment of thesnapring with the end of the shaft during this operation. Alternatively,the snapring may be telescoped onto the end of the shaft by positioningthe tabs 54, 55 in the snapring groove 45 and manually urging thehandles 112, 113 toward one another. As illustrated in FIGS. 18 and 19,the tool may also be embodied in this manner to slide the snapring alongthe shaft after it has been initially telescoped onto the end of theshaft.

After the snapring 19 is positioned in the groove 45, the retainingcollar 47 and the thrust washer 48 are assembled onto the snapring byclamping the collar and thrust washer between the opposed faces of theplates 116, 117 as described above with reference to the embodimentillustrated in FIGS. 1 ---11. It is pointed out that the reaction tabs54, 55 are spaced from the end of the slot 121 a distance to permit thisclamping action. In each embodiment of theinvention, the opposedsurfaces of the clamping jaws are substantially parallel during thisclamping action to apply a clamping force on opposed sides of the shaftsimultaneously, thereby eliminating any tendency of the thrust washer,snapring and retaining collar to shift or become misaligned during thisassembly operation.

, While I have disclosed and described the preferred embodi-- ment of myinvention, I wish it understood that I do not intend to be restrictedsolely thereto, but that I do intend to include all embodiments thereofwhich would be apparent to one skilled in the art and which come withinthe spirit and scope of my invention.

lclaim:

1. A tool useful for removing a snapring from a groove in a shaft andfor installing a snapring onto a shaft, said tool comprising, incombination, a pair of elongated members pivoted together intermediatetheir respective ends to define a pair of opposed relatively movablehandles and a pair of opposed clamping jaws movable between aclosedposition and an open position by manipulation of said handles, agenerally flat clamping surface on each of said jaws, said clampingsurface being generally parallel when said jaws are in said closedposition, an open-ended slot formedin one of said jaws and extendinginto the clamping surface thereon, said opemended slot being dimensionedto closely receive the shaft from which a snapring is to be removed, anelongated slot formed in the other of said clamping jaws in generallyopposed relation to said open-ended slot whereby an annular memberdisposed on a shaft may be clamped between said jaws when the shaft isdisposed within said slots, and reaction means carried by said elongatedslot on said other jaw positioned to engage the end of the shaft toprovide a reaction force for said one jaw to axially force said snapringfrom the shaft.

2. The tool defined in claim 1 wherein said reaction means overlies atleast a portion of said open-ended'slot when said jaws are in saidclosed position.

' 3. The tool, as defined in claim. 2 wherein said reaction meanscomprises a pair of tabs projecting into said elongated slot in positionto engage the end of a shaft on substantially opposite sides thereof.

4. The tool defined in claim 1 further comprising a pair of generallyparallel grooves formed on each in the opposing surfaces of saidopen-ended slot, said grooves being positioned and dimensioned toslidably receive and support a snapring within said open-ended slot.

5. The tool defined in claim i wherein said reaction means in mounted onsaid other jaw for movement along said elongated slot.

6. The tool defined in claim 1 wherein said other jaw is substantiallylonger than said one jaw, said elongated slot extending generallyparallel to and outwardly beyond said' openended slot, and wherein saidreaction means is movable between a ring moving position generallyopposed to said open-ended slot when said jaws in said closed positionto a retracted position spaced outwardly from said one jaw.

7. The tool defined in claim 6 wherein said elongated slot is closed ateach end, and said reaction means is supported with said elongated slotfor sliding movement therealong.

8. The tool defined in claim 7 wherein said reaction means comprises agenerally cup-shaped hood having a central cavity therein for receivingthe end of a shaft.

9. The tool defined in claim 7 wherein said elongated slot isdimensioned to telescopingly receive the end of a shaft when saidreaction means is in said retracted position whereby said tool may beemployed to apply a clamping force between a snapring disposed in agroove on ashaft and a retaining collar to telescope the collar onto thering to retain the ring in the groove.

1. A tool useful for removing a snapring from a groove in a shaft andfor installing a snapring onto a shaft, said tool comprising, incombination, a pair of elongated members pivoted together intermediatetheir respective ends to define a pair of opposed relatively movablehandles and a pair of opposed clamping jaws movable between a closedposition and an open position by manipulation of said handles, agenerally flat clamping surface on each of said jaws, said clampingsurface being generally parallel when said jaws are in said closedposition, an openended slot formed in one of saiD jaws and extendinginto the clamping surface thereon, said open-ended slot beingdimensioned to closely receive the shaft from which a snapring is to beremoved, an elongated slot formed in the other of said clamping jaws ingenerally opposed relation to said open-ended slot whereby an annularmember disposed on a shaft may be clamped between said jaws when theshaft is disposed within said slots, and reaction means carried by saidelongated slot on said other jaw positioned to engage the end of theshaft to provide a reaction force for said one jaw to axially force saidsnapring from the shaft.
 2. The tool defined in claim 1 wherein saidreaction means overlies at least a portion of said open-ended slot whensaid jaws are in said closed position.
 3. The tool as defined in claim 2wherein said reaction means comprises a pair of tabs projecting intosaid elongated slot in position to engage the end of a shaft onsubstantially opposite sides thereof.
 4. The tool defined in claim 1further comprising a pair of generally parallel grooves formed on eachin the opposing surfaces of said open-ended slot, said grooves beingpositioned and dimensioned to slidably receive and support a snapringwithin said open-ended slot.
 5. The tool defined in claim 1 wherein saidreaction means in mounted on said other jaw for movement along saidelongated slot.
 6. The tool defined in claim 1 wherein said other jaw issubstantially longer than said one jaw, said elongated slot extendinggenerally parallel to and outwardly beyond said open-ended slot, andwherein said reaction means is movable between a ring moving positiongenerally opposed to said open-ended slot when said jaws in said closedposition to a retracted position spaced outwardly from said one jaw. 7.The tool defined in claim 6 wherein said elongated slot is closed ateach end, and said reaction means is supported with said elongated slotfor sliding movement therealong.
 8. The tool defined in claim 7 whereinsaid reaction means comprises a generally cup-shaped hood having acentral cavity therein for receiving the end of a shaft.
 9. The tooldefined in claim 7 wherein said elongated slot is dimensioned totelescopingly receive the end of a shaft when said reaction means is insaid retracted position whereby said tool may be employed to apply aclamping force between a snapring disposed in a groove on a shaft and aretaining collar to telescope the collar onto the ring to retain thering in the groove.